Smoking and vacuum sealing meals for later

[smokinhusker]

I vac seal and freeze nearly everything from soups and sauces to PP and brisket. When my BF was working out of town, I vac sealed his meals and he'd reheat in hot water. I only add the de fatted drippings to the PP, and for sliced brisket in au jus, I put it in a flat plastic container, freeze, pop it out and vac seal it. I do the same with soups and sauces. He said his meals were just as good as if fixed fresh and eaten.

 

[bigcreekbbq]

Can you fit a Whole Butt in the chamber of this small one? I like to seal and freeze my butts whole for reheat at larger gatherings, seems to taste fresher that way than PP.

Yes, you can get whole butts in this chamber.  I can seal an 8 or 9 pound raw butt so cooked ones with volume loss are no problem.  Just be sure they're cooled first.

 

[bigcreekbbq]

 I would agree if I was frequently using it, cheaper bags and greater durability would warrant the $500-$600 price tag. But to bag a couple of Lbs of Chicken Boobs and Steaks once a week or 5-10Lb of Pulled Pork once a month and 3 Gal of Tomato Sauce every 4 months does not really justify paying 4X what I did for the FoodSaver...JJ

True - you shouldn't spend the money if you won't be using it much.  I just went through three Foodsavers in about ten years.  Add that up and you get what this machine costs or more.  We were, however, using the foodsaver much more than what you indicate you are.  Regardless, I always recommend getting the best machine you can afford.  You never know what you'll get into! :-)  I recently decided to give sous vide cooking a try and found it fun and have had some good success.  Some of the things we do there couldn't be done in a suction style machine.